Elantra N TCR secures championship in Macau
Our customer Hyundai N Team has secured the TCR China drivers’ title at the season finale in Macau, where Martin Cao ended his year as he started it – with a winning performance.
His results have also seen our Elantra N TCR secure the car model championship title in the series, in which our customer drivers have won half of the total races in 2023.
“The level of competition in TCR China this season has been fantastic,” said our Customer Racing Manager Andrea Cisotti. “The racing between multiple manufacturers and drivers has been very close, and the lead changed hands several times – right down to the final race.”
A rollercoaster season
Martin converted a second place start in Race 1 in Macau into his fourth victory of the season. It was exactly how he started his season at Shanghai International Circuit, where he sprang from fourth on the grip to take a lead he would never relinquish.
However, it wasn’t until the third round of the season that he topped the championship standings for the first time. Martin claimed back-to-back wins, starting with a treacherous and sodden Race 2 at Zhejiang and Race 1 at Zhuzhou International Circuit. He then completed a 1-2-3 finish for the Elantra N TCR in Race 2, but he would lose it two rounds later when the series returned to the circuit.
Martin arrived in Macau six points in arrears to the top of the standings, but his Race 1 win enabled him to retake the lead when it mattered.
“It was a great season after a difficult comeback in the points after round five,” said Martin. “The car was very fast in Macau – the set-up and tyres were almost perfect which gave me so much confidence to push for a better result. Thanks to Hyundai and the Hyundai N Team for putting together the perfect package for us this weekend, and all season.”
Finishing on a high
There was a large presence of our customers on the grid, led by multi-car entries from Hyundai N Team and Z Speed. Five Elantra N TCR cars finished in the top ten of the championship, underscoring the performance of our challenger.
Our Junior Driver Max Hart finished sixth overall with a masterful lights-to-flag victory in Race 2 in Macau. Martin’s team-mates Andy Yan and Rainey He were seventh and ninth respectively, with Z Speed driver Zhang Zhen Dong splitting them in eighth.
“To win in such a competitive championship is a huge achievement, so Martin and the Hyundai N Team can rightly be very proud. The victory for our Junior Driver Max Hart, after a superb drive in the final race of the year, completed an excellent season in TCR China for Elantra N TCR customers,” concluded Andrea.
2023 TCR China Championship – Final Drivers’ Standings
1. M. Cao 178
2. J. Young 159
3. J. Zhang 145
4. M. Xie 111
5. D. Zhu 101
6. M. Hart 91
2023 TCR China Championship – Final Car Model Standings
1. Hyundai Elantra N TCR 351
2. Lynk & Co 03 TCR 303
3. Honda Civic Type R TCR 253
